@Munish I like the way that Murata uses sensory detail within an enclosed space. (sights, smells, and verbal cues) in order to tell a story in an efficient way. Its a welcome relief after reading sprawling Murakami novels.

Looking at the issue of how we define ourselves in terms of our work has an ironic twist with Keiko’s longtime stint in the convenience store. Many of us could probably see ourselves in the position of being defined by our work.

There was a telling moment when Keiko invited Shiraha home and we realize that the food that she has been eating for the last decade has been vile - even the downtrodden Shiraha mentioned that it looked like dog food. This was a shock to me after reading Japanesei novels (esp. by Murakami) where the food, even with protagonists living in simple quarters, is usually traditional Japanese home-cooked fare. A shock that made me realize that I had been seeing the main character through rose-colored glasses through most of the novel - we don’t actually see her living circumstances until 3/4 of the way through the book.

I’ve got about 50 pages left and expect to finish it today or tomorrow.